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Cinema and Society
Licence to Thrill
The James Bond epic is the most popular film series in silver screen it is estimated that a quarter of the world's population has seen a Bond feature. The saga of Britain's best-loved martini hound (who we all know prefers his favorite drink "shaken, not stirred") has adapted to changing times for four decades without ever abandoning its tried-and-true formula of diabolical international conspiracy, sexual intrigue, and incredible gadgetry.
James Chapman expertly traces the annals of celluloid Bond from its inauguration with 1962's Dr. No through its progression beyond Ian Fleming's spy novels to the action-adventure spectaculars of GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies. He argues that the enormous popularity of the series represents more than just the sum total of the films' box-office receipts and involves questions of film culture in a wider sense.
Licence to Thrill chronicles how Bond, a representative of a British Empire that no longer existed in his generation, became a symbol of his nation's might in a Cold War world where Britain was no longer a primary actor. Chapman describes the protean nature of Bond villains in a volatile global political scene―from Soviet scoundrels and Chinese rogues in the 1960s to a brief flirtation with Latin American drug kingpins in the 1980s and back to the Chinese in the 1990s. The book explores how the movies struggle with changing societal ethics―notably, in the evolution in the portrayal of women, showing how Bond's encounters with the opposite sex have evolved into trysts with leading ladies as sexually liberated as Bond himself.
The Bond formula has proved remarkably durable and consistently successful for roughly a third of cinema's history―half the period since the introduction of talking pictures in the late 1920s. Moreover, Licence to Thrill argues that, for the foreseeable future, the James Bond films are likely to go on being what they have always been, a unique and very special kind of popular cinema.
James Chapman expertly traces the annals of celluloid Bond from its inauguration with 1962's Dr. No through its progression beyond Ian Fleming's spy novels to the action-adventure spectaculars of GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies. He argues that the enormous popularity of the series represents more than just the sum total of the films' box-office receipts and involves questions of film culture in a wider sense.
Licence to Thrill chronicles how Bond, a representative of a British Empire that no longer existed in his generation, became a symbol of his nation's might in a Cold War world where Britain was no longer a primary actor. Chapman describes the protean nature of Bond villains in a volatile global political scene―from Soviet scoundrels and Chinese rogues in the 1960s to a brief flirtation with Latin American drug kingpins in the 1980s and back to the Chinese in the 1990s. The book explores how the movies struggle with changing societal ethics―notably, in the evolution in the portrayal of women, showing how Bond's encounters with the opposite sex have evolved into trysts with leading ladies as sexually liberated as Bond himself.
The Bond formula has proved remarkably durable and consistently successful for roughly a third of cinema's history―half the period since the introduction of talking pictures in the late 1920s. Moreover, Licence to Thrill argues that, for the foreseeable future, the James Bond films are likely to go on being what they have always been, a unique and very special kind of popular cinema.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 1999
3 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
James Chapman
27 books7 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
James Chapman is Professor of Film Studies at the University of Leicester. He has written several books on the history of British popular culture, including work on cinema, television and comics.
He attended Wales High School during the 1980s. He took his BA (History) and MA (Film Studies) at the University of East Anglia and then undertook his doctoral research at Lancaster University, completing his thesis on the role of official film propaganda in Britain during the Second World War.
In 1996 he joined The Open University where he taught a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and was principal contributing author to the university’s first dedicated course on Film and Television History. He joined the University of Leicester as its founding Professor of Film Studies in 2005.
Chapman’s research focuses on British popular culture, especially cinema and television in their historical contexts. He has written or edited ten books, including two which he has co-authored with Professor Nicholas J. Cull. His work draws upon the ideas of the film theorist Gilles Deleuze and applies them to understanding the role and nature of popular film and television. His books include studies of the science fiction television series Doctor Who and the James Bond films. SFX magazine described his book Licence To Thrill as "thoughtful, intelligent, ludicrous and a bit snobby - bit like Bond really".
He is a Council member of the International Association for Media and History (IAMHIST) and is editor of the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television.
Chapman has also published articles in the following journals: Screen, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Journal of Popular British Cinema, Visual Culture in Britain, Journal of Contemporary History, Contemporary British History, Media History and European Journal of Cultural Studies.
James Chapman is Professor of Film Studies at the University of Leicester. He has written several books on the history of British popular culture, including work on cinema, television and comics.
He attended Wales High School during the 1980s. He took his BA (History) and MA (Film Studies) at the University of East Anglia and then undertook his doctoral research at Lancaster University, completing his thesis on the role of official film propaganda in Britain during the Second World War.
In 1996 he joined The Open University where he taught a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and was principal contributing author to the university’s first dedicated course on Film and Television History. He joined the University of Leicester as its founding Professor of Film Studies in 2005.
Chapman’s research focuses on British popular culture, especially cinema and television in their historical contexts. He has written or edited ten books, including two which he has co-authored with Professor Nicholas J. Cull. His work draws upon the ideas of the film theorist Gilles Deleuze and applies them to understanding the role and nature of popular film and television. His books include studies of the science fiction television series Doctor Who and the James Bond films. SFX magazine described his book Licence To Thrill as "thoughtful, intelligent, ludicrous and a bit snobby - bit like Bond really".
He is a Council member of the International Association for Media and History (IAMHIST) and is editor of the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television.
Chapman has also published articles in the following journals: Screen, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Journal of Popular British Cinema, Visual Culture in Britain, Journal of Contemporary History, Contemporary British History, Media History and European Journal of Cultural Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 31, 2011
If you are looking for a guide to all the best bits from the Bond films, the biographies of the cast and crew and so on, then there are plenty of books out there for you; but this is not the book you are looking for. This book is a serious study to put the Bond movies – including the two not made by Eon Productions – into the context of the social history of the day. Written by a self-confessed Bond fan this is an attempt to explain the place of the Bond films in society. It highlights that during the 1960s Bond set the trends but resorted to following them throughout the 1970s, that the overt racism and sexism mellowed as social attitudes in real life changed over time and that if you do look too deeply into anything – no matter how trivial – you will find a deeper meaning. This is a must read for all Bond fans.
September 16, 2019
A little outdated now, but an enjoyable journey through the Bond films nonetheless. (It was published in 1999 and ends with Tomorrow Never Dies; I wonder what the author made of Die Another Day?)
May 15, 2019
Read this book like a year ago, the updated edition that includes Casino Royale. I remember being a little disappointed when I saw there were no pics and I was prepared for a boring and extensive work with a lot of mumbo-jumbo, but I was proved wrong as soon as I read the first pages! This book is a must have for any Bond fan, particularly those who write articles and are interested in the cultural importance of the series through almost six decades. It's a long book, but it's so interesting that I finished it within days.
March 26, 2020
An excellent read for the fans of the Bond movies.
April 21, 2015
I bought this book from the bookstore I worked at on Oxford Street, London, in 1999, the year it was first published. I've just read it, 16 years and five Bond films later, which gives an indication not just of how busy my life has been, but how big a priority I placed on the book.
And yet, it was well worth the read. Please keep in mind that this is not a fawning fan book, or a studio back compendium filled with glossier stills and "dossier" stats. There are plenty of those books out there. This book is an attempt to bring serious cultural analysis to the one of the least "serious", yet most popular film franchises of all time.
It's pretty dry and academic by most film book standards (although totally accessible by university thesis standards). Occasionally the analysis gets a bit wanky and try-hard - but that's most Chapman quoting other self-important knobs...his own stuff is pretty savvy and pretty readable.
As a colossal Bond fan from the 80s onward, I particularly enjoyed this book from a historical context - the ways the films were viewed as a colossal phenomenon in the 60s before settling into an institutionalized ritual in the 70s. Love the box office analysis of course with the international perspective. Also great is the dissection of the way the films evolved from Fleming's Cold War focus, and added the humour and visual flair and flamboyance...yet kept (while often acknowledging it was a sly joke) the pomposity of England's superiority in international affairs. Of course there's the usual stuff about why the series has had such longevity - the tightrope walk of sticking to formula yet freshening things up periodically.
There's nothing jaw-dropping in this, and the author mostly keeps his subjective opinions about the film's qualities to himself. But he's pretty spot on in his analysis of the strengths and weakness of each film (and of each Bond actor), and the "history" part of the subtitle is just as important here and the "cultural" part.
Highly recommended, but only if you love the Bond films, and aren't afraid of big words.
And yet, it was well worth the read. Please keep in mind that this is not a fawning fan book, or a studio back compendium filled with glossier stills and "dossier" stats. There are plenty of those books out there. This book is an attempt to bring serious cultural analysis to the one of the least "serious", yet most popular film franchises of all time.
It's pretty dry and academic by most film book standards (although totally accessible by university thesis standards). Occasionally the analysis gets a bit wanky and try-hard - but that's most Chapman quoting other self-important knobs...his own stuff is pretty savvy and pretty readable.
As a colossal Bond fan from the 80s onward, I particularly enjoyed this book from a historical context - the ways the films were viewed as a colossal phenomenon in the 60s before settling into an institutionalized ritual in the 70s. Love the box office analysis of course with the international perspective. Also great is the dissection of the way the films evolved from Fleming's Cold War focus, and added the humour and visual flair and flamboyance...yet kept (while often acknowledging it was a sly joke) the pomposity of England's superiority in international affairs. Of course there's the usual stuff about why the series has had such longevity - the tightrope walk of sticking to formula yet freshening things up periodically.
There's nothing jaw-dropping in this, and the author mostly keeps his subjective opinions about the film's qualities to himself. But he's pretty spot on in his analysis of the strengths and weakness of each film (and of each Bond actor), and the "history" part of the subtitle is just as important here and the "cultural" part.
Highly recommended, but only if you love the Bond films, and aren't afraid of big words.
November 15, 2008
This was a fair attempt to fit in the essence of James Bond and how it fit into the society at the time, and how it fits in with other movies being made at the time that Dr. No, and the others to follow it faired. In my opinion the Bond movies at first set the trend and other movies tried to pick up on it, or the feeling of it. They were the first movies to have the sometimes funny one liners at the end of an action sequence. Lots of other action movies took that and ran with it....in particual the Leathal Weapon movies and the Arnold movies come to mind...and the Die Hard movies....for instance. But in the 70's and 80's I feel that the Bond movies were following other trends and lost focus. This book agrees with me for the most part. This book made me really want to read a book about Sean Connery in his own words for instance on the making of the Bond movies he was in. Still looking for that one. Anyway I highly reccomend this to anyone that loves the Bond films. Lots of insight in how they got going and how they came to be in the first place.
December 31, 2010
I first came across this book when studying a film history module for my Social History degree. With time not on my side I was only able to read the chapters regarding some of the '60s Bond films.
Ten years later, I bought the book, which I regard as one of the best critiques of film available.
Chapman's enthusiasm for his subject is evident and makes this an enjoyable read. He provides, not only, a history of the Bond franchise, but also a fantastic appraisal of how the films helped define British culture and identity.
The author also provides an engaging comparison of the Fleming books and their respective films. Highlighting that the novels were very much a part of popular fiction reading on both sides of the Atlantic long before the films were made.
For students of film, fans of Bond, or just the casual reader, this is an excellent read, a fantastic diversion into a world of spies, popular culture and good old fashioned British snobbery.
Ten years later, I bought the book, which I regard as one of the best critiques of film available.
Chapman's enthusiasm for his subject is evident and makes this an enjoyable read. He provides, not only, a history of the Bond franchise, but also a fantastic appraisal of how the films helped define British culture and identity.
The author also provides an engaging comparison of the Fleming books and their respective films. Highlighting that the novels were very much a part of popular fiction reading on both sides of the Atlantic long before the films were made.
For students of film, fans of Bond, or just the casual reader, this is an excellent read, a fantastic diversion into a world of spies, popular culture and good old fashioned British snobbery.
April 4, 2007
A bit hard to find, this book treads middle ground between film criticism based on the tenants of some particular school of thought, and a more "pop culture" analysis of the Bond films. It describes the relationship of the films to the books, how the character differs in both, and most interestingly how the character and villians evolve throughout the series in response to world events. One point evolved is Bond's misogyny and how that was considerably 'softened' in the films of the 90s. This peaked with Timothy Dalton's well played but rejected-by-fans version of a vulnerable and less than fully patriotic (English) Bond.
February 27, 2017
From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, passing from Ian Fleming. An high-level analysis of James Bond, not only as a character but for what 007 means for film industry.
James Chapman succeeded in providing a complete cultural history of James Bond film, with the right mix of data, quotes and thinking.
A quite impressive journey from books to films, with a leit-motive: James Bond survived every kind of evil enemies, even the most dangerous one, time. More than half century after Fleming's books, Mr Bond is still able to thrill you with his unique recipe for success.
James Chapman succeeded in providing a complete cultural history of James Bond film, with the right mix of data, quotes and thinking.
A quite impressive journey from books to films, with a leit-motive: James Bond survived every kind of evil enemies, even the most dangerous one, time. More than half century after Fleming's books, Mr Bond is still able to thrill you with his unique recipe for success.
May 9, 2014
While it is hardly the definitive analysis of cinematic Bond (it's simply too large a subject), it nonetheless provides a solid overview of the cultural contexts in which the films were created. Chapman's thoughts are succinct and offer a nice balance of analysis and production history.
March 22, 2015
An excellent cultural history of the Bond genre, giving a detailed overwview along with comparisons between novels and screen productions. I'd recommend this for everyone seeking an excellent introduction to the scope of the world of James Bond.
August 17, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this, though it may be one for the Bond aficionados. Still, even if you don't count yourself as one, the journey through the cinematic history of the Bond era us well written and enlightening.
January 24, 2008
This is a neat study of Bond as a pop-culture icon. It has both behind-the-scenes information and critical analysis of the films, with just the right tone.
March 22, 2008
Excellent book on the cultural history of the James Bond films. The author places each film in the context that it was made to try and show how each was relevant to its time. Good film criticism.
August 9, 2012
Insightful and entertaining as hell.
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September 11, 2016Great read. Riveting and infiormative.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews